The Olton Mustang’s varsity basketball team won an overtime thriller over the New Deal Lions on Tuesday, 52-51, at Frenship’s Tiger Pit to advance to the 2A Regional Semi-Finals.
With the win, the Mustangs improve to 32-3 overall on the season.
New Deal’s Keegan Kirkland dropped in a lay-up, off of an assist from Jason Brazell to open the contest, but on the other end, Alex Santillan was fouled on an attempt by Kirkland earning a trip to the line. He sank both free throws to tie the game, but New Deal answered, as Jyson Lacy spun to the basket for a lay-up to put the Lions in front, 4-2, with just under five minutes remaining in the opening quarter.
Jake Soliz resonded with a layup off of an assist from Chris Urbina and Andrew Martinez followed it up with a three from the left wing off of the assist from Santillan, putting Olton in front, 7-4. Brazell dropped in a lay-up, drawing an and-one foul on Joe Canchola, but he missed the free throw, leaving the score, 7-6. With just under three minutes left to play in the first quarter, Chris Urbina buried a three from the top of the key, off of the assist from Soliz to push their lead to, 10-6.
Lacy was fouled on a put-back attempt by Chris Urbina and split the free throws, starting a, 5-0, scoring run to give New Deal an, 11-10, lead. With time winding down in the quarter, Chris Urbina dropped in a lay-up off of a miss by Martinez to put the Mustangs up by one point, 12-11, heading into quarter number two.
Leric Eaton opened the second quarter with a lay-up, drawing an and-one foul on Brennon Huguley. He converted the free throw, but Chris Urbina answered with a jumper off of the glass from the right elbow to tie the game, 14-14. Kendrick Nelson knocked down a mid-range jumper from the right wing and Eaton followed it up with a no-look pass to Lacy, who was fouled on an attempt by Huguley earning a trip to the line. He split the free throws to extend the Lion’s lead to three points, 17-14, with just over six minutes to play in the half.
Nathan Urbina knocked down a jumper from the right elbow, off of an inbound play and on the next play, Eaton was called for an offensive foul with 5:10 remaining in the first half. Chris Urbina knocked down a jumper from the left wing and followed it up with a three from the right wing, off of the assist from Soliz to put the Mustangs back in front, 21-17.
Lacy split a pair of free throws for New Deal, as the Lions took a time out with 3:42 remaining in the half. Out of the break, Brazell scored back-to-back buckets for New Deal to regain the lead, 22-21, as the Lions took a time out with 1:05 left to play in the half. Out of the break, Brazell went coast-to-coast for a floater in the lane to put the Lions in front, 24- 21, going into the locker room at halftime.
Huguley opened the second half with a lay-up, but New Deal answered with a, 7-0, scoring run to push the lead to, 31-23, before Olton took a time out with 5:37 remaining in the third quarter. Out of the break, Soliz drove the lane, kicking the ball over to Huguley, who finished the play with a layup to trim the lead to, 31-25. Santillan drove the lane for a layup and he followed it up by going coast-to-coast on the next play, dumping the ball off to Huguley for a lay-up to make it a one-possession game, 31-29, with 3:01 remaining in the quarter.
Nelson and Chris Urbina exchanged lay-ups and Nelson responded with another lay-up, of of an assist from Lacy to stretch their lead to, 35-31, heading into the final quarter of play.
Lacy got New Deal on the board to open the fourth quarter and he followed it up with a lay-up, off of an assist from Eaton, making it an eight-point Lions lead, 39-31. Olton took a time out with six minutes remaining in the game. Out of the break, Huguley dropped in a lay-up, but Brazell answered with a runner from the left side, making the score, 41-33, as the Lions took a time out with 2:46 remaining in the contest.
Out of the break, Nelson dropped in a lay-up off of the assist form Brazell, but Santillan answered with a floater from the right side and Soliz followed it up with a three from the right wing, off of the assist from Santillan, as Olton took a time out, trailing the Lions, 43-38, with 1:12 left to play in the game. Out of the break, Lacy split a pair of free throws and Chris Urbina answered with a three from the right wing, off of the inbound pass from Soliz, as Olton quickly called another time to preserve the clock, trailing 44-41. With 29.1 seconds remaining,
With 29.1 seconds remaining, Chris Urbina picked up a steal and took it the other way for a fastbreak lay-up to cut the lead to one point, 44-43. New Deal took a time out with 21.57 seconds remaining and out of the break, Brazell was fouled on the floor by Soliz with 11.85 seconds remaining in the game. He converted both free throws to make it a three-point game, 46-43.
Olton took a time out with 9.89 seconds and out of the break, Santillan took the inbound pass and buried a three from the top of the key to tie the game, 46-46, forcing overtime.
Huguley opened the extra period with a jumper from the freethrow line, off of the assist from Santillan, but Brazell responded with a jumper from the right wing to keep the game tied, 48-48. Huguley again knocked down a jumper from the right elbow, as
New Deal took a time out with 1:16 remaining in overtime. Out of the break, Brazell dropped in a lay-up, drawing an and-one foul on Soliz. He converted the free throw to give the Lions a one-point lead, 51-50.
With under 10 seconds remaining, Santillan was fouled on the floor by Kirkland; he made both shots to put the Mustangs in front by one, 52-51, and with 2.9 seconds remaining, Huguley forced a jumpball that went to Olton. The Mustangs got the ball into play and ran out the clock to take the contest, 52-51, over New Deal.
Chris Urbina led the team in scoring with 17 points, while Huguley tallied 12 points and Santillan finished with 10 points. Soliz chipped in six points, while Nathan Urbina added five points and Martinez finished with three points.
The Mustangs took on Christoval on Friday at Texan Dome in Levelland in the 2A Regional Semi-Finals. Results were not available at press time.